Top 10 Marvel Characters Who Are Most Likely to Die in Phase 3

VO: JG
WRITTEN BY: Thomas O'Connor
Written by Thomas O'Connor
Where Thanos goes, Death goes as well. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’ll be counting down the top ten Marvel characters who are most likely to die in phase 3.
For this list, we’ll be looking at the characters most likely to die before Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe wraps up with the fourth “Avengers” movie, due to hit theatres in 2019.

Where Thanos goes, Death goes as well. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’ll be counting down the top ten Marvel characters who are most likely to die in phase 3.

For this list, we’ll be looking at the characters most likely to die before Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe wraps up with the fourth “Avengers” movie, due to hit theatres in 2019.

#10: The Vision

When Thanos finally arrives on Earth to claim the Infinity Stones for himself, it’s a safe bet that he’ll be paying this android Avenger a visit. After all, the glowing gem in his forehead is the Mind Stone, the Infinity Stone with power over the minds of sentient creatures that was Loki’s staff’s source of power and led to the creation of Ultron. It’s possible that he could be kept alive after having the Mind Stone removed from his head and Thanos takes his prize. After all, you don’t get the nickname “The Mad Titan” by asking for things nicely.

#9: Thor

The God of Thunder’s next cinematic outing will see him square off against a deadlier enemy than anything he’s faced before: Hela, the Goddess of Death. While it’s confirmed that the Odinson will be around for “Infinity War”, descriptions of “Infinity War” footage describe him being found by the Guardians of the Galaxy in pretty rough shape. Could it be that his battle with Hela will leave him not long for this world, or is his upcoming fight with death herself intended as foreshadowing for his demise at the hands of Thanos? We’ll just have to wait and see.

#8: Drax

This green-skinned, knife-wielding warrior spent the majority of his first cinematic outing in the first “Guardians of the Galaxy” movie gunning (or is it slashing) for the cosmic extremist Ronan, before revealing that Thanos is his true target. While he’s just another space warrior in the movies, this character’s comics-counterpart was in fact created solely for the purpose of murdering Thanos, an objective he achieved on one occasion. Given his headstrong nature and desire to see Thanos dead, it’s quite possible he’ll go toe-to-toe with the big bad in an upcoming film. And to be honest, we aren’t optimistic about his chances of making it out alive.

#7: War Machine

Iron Man’s stalwart and heavily-armed ally already had a pretty close brush with death in “Captain America: Civil War” when a stray laser blast knocked him out of the sky, leaving him alive but paralyzed. But given that this is the Marvel Universe, where robot legs and bionic implants are relatively common, it’s not hard to imagine he’ll be suiting up in his trademark gunmetal suit when we see him next. But when Thanos collects the full power of the Infinity Gems into the awesome Infinity Gauntlet, are a can-do attitude and a whole lotta firepower really going to be able to stop him?

#6: Nebula

Another character with a deep desire to see Thanos six feet under, this fiery warrior was raised by the Mad Titan, and implanted with cybernetic augmentations whenever she lost to her sister Gamora. Understandably, she’s not a big fan of Thanos, and announced her intention to kill him the last time we saw her. While she’s proven herself to be a fearsome warrior, Thanos isn’t going to go down without a fight, nor are his personal enforcers, the Black Order. If she wants to get to dear ‘ole dad, she’s gonna have a heck of a fight on her hands, and it might not be one she can walk away from.

#5: Nick Fury

Since stepping down as director of S.H.I.E.L.D when the organization was dissolved, Sam Jackson’s enigmatic spymaster hasn’t had much to do besides show up to save the day in “Age of Ultron”. Given that his appearance after the credits of “Iron Man” kick-started the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it could be that his death at the hands of Thanos could be used to thematically close out the first era of Marvel’s movie empire, perhaps after showing up one last time to rally the team together in the face of a threat no single superhero could withstand.

#4: Hawkeye

Don’t get us wrong, we love this unsung Avenger and S.H.I.E.L.D agent, from his laid back attitude to his variety of awesome trick arrows. But let’s face it, when you’re in a fight involving gods, cosmic despots and everything in between, it’s hard to hold your own with a bow and arrow, no matter how advanced. It’s a shame to admit, but we don’t like this Avenger’s odds of making it out of the coming battle intact. It would be a shame, as actor Jeremy Renner has only been given a few chances to dig into the character, and we’ve had fun every time.

#3: Loki

In general, redemption arcs can only end one of two ways: with the character in need of redeeming going full-on superhero, or with them sacrificing themselves valiantly to atone for previous crimes. It’s hard to imagine the God of Mischief ever totally walking on the side of good, even to atone for almost helping Thanos conquer Earth with a Chituari army. And that means the odds of Tom Hiddleston’s Asgardian charmer biting the bullet to save the day are pretty high, especially since his knowledge of the Infinity Stones, having wielded their power before, could prove vital for defeating Thanos.

#2: Captain America

We’d be slightly more optimistic about the Star-Spangled Avenger’s chances of living to see Phase 4 if not for the fact that two characters known for taking up his mantle are currently prominent figures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Cap’s two BFFs, The Falcon and Bucky Barnes, have both taken on the mantle of Captain America in the comics after Cap’s death or retirement. Could we see Sam Wilson or Bucky Barnes suiting up in the red-white-and-blue uniform in Phase 4? Why not both? Who’s to say there can’t be two Caps? Either way, we won’t know for now, and if you’re having trouble waiting, remember: patience!

#1: Iron Man

The character who brought the Marvel Cinematic Universe into being could bring a close to its first era as well, with the character laying down his life to prevent the destruction of the universe he helped create. Tony’s had close-calls with death before, and it’s rattled him to his core. And it was his own visions of the Avengers’ death in space that led to the creation of Ultron and later the Civil War. Could it be that this was all foreshadowing for shellhead’s ultimate demise in the Avengers’ greatest battle? We’re not sure, but maybe we should all start prepping ourselves for Robert Downey Jr to take his final bow.